By David Selig
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — When Mark Hash walked off the field following a 31-0 loss to James Wood at Kelican Stadium a year ago, the Washington (W.Va.) coach didn’t show a great deal of disappointment.

With a first-year program and only one player with previous varsity experience, Hash couldn’t have expected to win those types of games early in the season, and he could already see some improvement.

“Every team we play is going to be stronger than us,” Hash said that night. “We were behind the eight-ball — in fact, we were behind the whole rack of balls — before we even started.”

That’s not necessarily the case one year later, as the teams prepare to meet tonight in Charles Town, W.Va.

“They’re not a bad team,” James Wood coach Mike Bolin said. “They’re fast. They’ve got some talented kids. We’re going to have our hands full.”

Washington lost to visiting Hedgesville (W.Va.) 26-20 in overtime last week, and if not for some costly turnovers the game could have gone the other way.

Senior Dylan Nick, that lone Patriot with varsity experience before last year, is the main player to watch out for.

Nick ran for 95 yards in the game at Wood last season, which was the second-most the Colonels allowed to a single rusher in a game all season. (Jeremiah Wilson had 118.)

Last week against Hedgesville, Nick carried the ball 25 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s a pretty hard runner,” Bolin said. “They’re going to win some games this year. Hopefully not this week.”

For Wood, tonight’s game will be the season opener, and Bolin said his team is healthy and anxious to hit the field.

In one of the final positions to be decided on the depth chart, Bolin said Zach Lloyd, the brother of former all-region kicker Andrew Lloyd, has won the job for kickoffs, field goals and extra points.

Quarterback Trae Tinsman will take on the punting duties.